How Will the Houston Astros Address Their Dilemma at the Catcher's Position?
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The Houston Astros have addressed some of their very few needs this winter. However, one area that has not been sorted is the catcher's position.
Coming into the winter the Astros were interested in All-Star and former Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras. Manager Dusty Baker all but confirmed the interest during his press conference at the Winter Meetings.
However, they failed to secure Contreras's services as he signed a five-year, $87.5 million deal with the St. Louis Cardinals. Houston then failed to retain Christian Vázquez, who came to the team via a trade with the Boston Red Sox at last year's trade deadline, after he signed with the Minnesota Twins.
The only other catcher that could have been of help to the lineup, Tucker Barnhart, signed with the Cubs less than a week ago.
So now, the Astros sit without a bona fide backup to Martín Maldonado, or anyone capable of supplanting his starting status as Gary Sanchez remains as the best option on the open market.
Not great.
That leaves Houston with only internal options or a trade. Internally, Yainer Díaz and Korey Lee would be the front runners to take over the backup position. Both would likely not turn the needle much in the Astros' favor, but they do remain an option.
Any trade for a potential catcher remains unlikely as both the Oakland Athletics and Toronto Blue Jays, the most logical of trade partners, have already traded away their catching pieces. Both Sean Murphy and Gabriel Moreno have found new homes and Houston is once again finding themselves on the outside looking in.
Perhaps there is one more trade partner the Astros could consider in the Kansas City Royals. We touched on it in a piece just a few days ago, but it makes sense.
Houston could make a push for catcher MJ Melendez who currently sits behind veteran Salvador Perez. Melendez hit .217/.313/.393 with 18 home runs in 129 games this past season.
He is young, controllable, and has an established production floor at the Major League level.
Melendez wouldn't come without cost, but if it means helping filling one of the last remaining, albeit glaring, holes on the roster then it is worth an inquiry.
Barring a move for a question mark in free agency or a trade in a hot market, the Astros will have to be content rolling with Maldonado as the starter and a young, unproven player as the backup.
It doesn't spell disaster as the rest of Houston's lineup is daunting and add the fact that Maldonado is a wizard with the pitching staff, and it doesn't seem so bad. But, without a long term solution moving forward, or even an option for an injury contingency, it makes one wonder why the Astros didn't address such a public need?
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